IT Security is a vitally important subject in the connected world in which we now live. There are various techniques and technology that we must use to keep our data protected and systems secure.

A Smart Building system or BMS is no exception and software frameworks such as Tridium’s Niagara 4 implement a whole host of features to ensure complete compliance with modern IT Security best practices.

TLS (Transport Layer Security) is the fundamental security underpinning of many TCP/IP communication protocols including HTTPS, SMTP (over TLS), SSH/SFTP, MQTT (over TLS), FOXS (Niagara Network) and Niagara Platform (over TLS).

To provide data encryption & endpoint (host) verification, TLS relies on PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) and Certificates. Those of you well versed in Tridium’s Niagara 4 will be aware of the requirement for Certificates by now, but most do not move beyond an ‘out the box’ configuration and therefore aren’t delivering the full benefits & transparent user experience of these modern security features to your customers.

Course Content

In this 1-day Master Class, we will cover the following key areas, building up knowledge and fundamental understanding step by step:

• Background of SSL/TLS how and where is it used in our day to day lives?
• Certificate Authorities (CA) & the ‘Chain of Trust’ – What does this look like?
• Private PKI & Certificates vs Public – What’s the difference, Concept of ‘Trust’ and how does this work in practice?
• Hostname Resolution / DNS – Understanding the key supporting role this plays.
• Certificates UI in Niagara 4 – Where and how do we manage them?
• Niagara 4 default behaviour – How are certificates used in a default installation, what does this look like in practice, errors/exceptions etc?
• Working with a Private CA, importing certificates into Niagara 4 and applying to the FOX, Web and Platform services.
• Utilising a Public CA, importing certificates into Niagara 4 and applying to the FOX, Web and Platform services. How is this different to working with a private CA?
• Utilising Niagara 4 itself as a CA (Certificate Authority) for certificate signing & management.
• What automatic deployment/commissioning options are available in Niagara 4 that take the manual work out of the certificate request/issuing process?
• Code Signing enforcement – What is it & why is it important? How does it work?

This course is delivered remotely via Teams and will typically run from 9:00AM to 4:00PM. The presenter will deliver each element of the content as a dynamic work through style exercise. There will be constant engagement and Q&A as we move through each section. There will be no ‘death by power point’ or step by step guides. This Masterclass is an engaging day to learn from an IT Infrastructure professional and engage in discussion about key topics to enhance your understanding and enable you to work more confidently with Certificates in Niagara 4.

**By special arrangement, we are able to deliver this masterclass in person at a customers premises**.